UNIVERSITY   OF  CALIFORNIA 

COLLEGE  OF   AGRICULTURE 

BERKELEY,   CALIFORNIA 


AGRICULTURAL   EXPERIMENT   STATION 
E.  J.  WICKSON,   Director 

C  C 


io 


CIRCULAR  No.  70 


(August,  1911) 


Observations  on  the  Status  of  Corn 
Growing  in  California 


By  M.  E.   SHERWIN 


«?•«*«;_. 


•L*.**.*  *- 


Grand  champion  single  ear  of  corn.     Winner  of  $1,000  Kellog  trophy,  Fourth  National 
Corn  Exposition,   Columbus,   Ohio,   1911. 


W. W.  Shannon 


SACRAMENTO 

•    -     Superintendent  of  State  Printing 
1911 


INTRODUCTION. 

The  latest  statistics  of  corn  grown  in  California  show  the  total  acreage 
in  1910  to  have  been  49,000;  the  production  1,838,000  bushels,  and  the 
value  of  the  crop,  $1,470,000.  The  demand  for  corn  is  continually 
increasing.  This,  together  with  the  fact  that  the  farm  value  per  bushel 
in  California  is  more  than  twice  that  for  the  general  average  for  the 
States,  naturally  raises  the  question,  "Can  California  not  increase  her 
corn  planting  with  profit?" 

At  the  solicitation  of  a  number  of  commercial  bodies  in  the  State,  as 
a  portion  of  the  work  covered  by  the  appropriation  for  cereal  improve- 
ment, some  preliminary  investigations  were  started  in  1909  looking 
toward  an  answer  to  the  above  question,  and  the  possibilities  of  improve- 
ment of  the  corn  crop,  culturally,  and  otherwise. 

Previous  to  the  laying  out  of  these  investigations,  Mr.  M.  E.  Sherwin, 
then  connected  with  this  Station,  and  an  experienced  corn  grower,  was 
detailed  to  make  a  preliminary  examination  of  "The  Status  of  Corn 
Growing  in  California." 

This  circular  will  soon  be  followed  by  a  bulletin  devoted  to  a  study  of 
California  seed  corn  with  suggestions  as  to  its  improvement,  and  later 
by  others  dealing  with  varieties  best  adapted  to  California  conditions 
and  cultural  methods. 

Mr.  Sherwin 's  report  is  presented  herewith,  with  the  recommenda- 
tion that  it  be  printed  as  a  circular. 

G.  W.  SHAW, 
Chief  of  Experimental  Agronomy  Division. 


OBSERVATIONS  ON  THE  STATUS  OF  CORN  GROWING  IN 

CALIFORNIA. 

By  M.  E.  Sherwin. 

California*  produces  but  a  small  acreage  of  corn,  ranking  thirty- 
sixth  among  the  different  states  in  acreage  grown  in  1909.  Yet  in  yield 
per  acre,  she  ranks  eleventh  the  same  year,  and  third  in  both  farm 
price  per  bushel  and  farm  value  per  acre.  Moreover,  the  yield  per 
acre  in  California  is  34.81  or  9.3  bushels  more  than  the  average  of  the 
United  States,  and  moreover,  the  farm  value  per  acre  is  more  than  twice 
that  of  the  general  average  of  the  states.  In  considering  these  compari- 
sons, the  question  naturally  arises  as  to  why  the  acreage  grown  in  Cali- 
fornia is  not  larger.  To  gain  information  on  this  point,  and  to  get  a 
general  view  of  the  corn  growing  conditions  of  the  State,  lists  of  ques- 
tions were  sent  by  the  writer  to  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  men  in 
different  parts  of  the  State  who  are  engaged  in  corn  growing  or  who 
have  previously  had  experience  in  corn  growing  in  their  respective 
localities.  These  lists  covered  in  general  the  main  points  of  culture, 
such  as  time,  method  and  thickness  of  planting;  cultivation,  suckering, 
harvesting  and  yield.  It  was  desired  to  find  along  what  lines  and  to 
what  extent  conditions  of  corn  growing  in  California  differ  from  condi- 
tions of  the  same  industry  in  the  Middle  West,  or  central  corn  growing 
section  of  the  United  States. 

Further,  as  some  work  was  about  to  be  undertaken  looking  toward 
corn  improvement,  it  was  desirable  to  know  in  what  way  the  money 
to  be  expended  for  this  purpose  should  be  used  to  give  the  best  results ; 
in  other  words,  to  find  what  improvements  are  most  needed  and  in 
probability  most  easily  obtained,  whether  in  seed  or  in  cultural  methods 
used.  A  summation  of  answers  received  from  growers  to  whom  the 
questions  were  sent,  is  not  the  prime  purpose  of  this  paper,  but  a  dis- 
cussion of  the  subject  covered  by  the  questions,  together  with  numerous 
other  points  which  were  suggested  by  the  answers  received,  all  of  which 
were  followed  up  as  far  as  possible  by  personal  interviews  in  the  field, 
will  be  given. 

As  supplementing  these  reports  from  growers,  a  trip  for  personal 
inquiry  and  observation  was  made  into  those  parts  of  the  State  giving 
the  most  attention  to  this  crop,  except  the  Imperial  Valley. 

The  two  main  questions  ever  in  mind,  which  also  were  often  put  as 
direct  questions  to  the  growers,  were,  ' '  Why  do  you  grow  as  much  corn 


*  Figures  for  comparisons  were  obtained  from  the  U.   S.  Department  of  Agriculture 
Year  Book  for  1909. 


as  you  do?"  and  "Why  don't  you  grow  more  corn  than  you  do?" 
These  two  questions  when  not  asked  and  answered  directly  were  asked 
and  answered  indirectly  through  a  number  of  questions  regarding  the 
details  of  corn  growing,  and  when  asked,  were  followed  by  a  discussion 
of  details.  As  the  growers  usually  have  certain  well  defined  reasons 
for  growing  as  much  corn  as  they  do  and  for  not  growing  more,  a  mere 
statement  of  these  reasons  will  be  given,  indicating  also  the  section  to 
which  they  apply,  while  a  fuller  discussion  will  then  be  given  the  details 
in  order  to  show  the  main  facts  in  their  proper  setting. 

REASONS  AGAINST   GROWING   CORN. 

The  reasons  given  against  corn  growing  are  three  in  the  main:  first, 
the  problem  of  getting  the  work  done,  which  is  perhaps  the  most  serious 
at  present ;  second,  the  expense  of  growing  the  crop  or  the  relatively 
small  profit  to  be  realized  per  unit  of  expenditure  as  compared  with  the 
growth  of  other  crops ;  th  ird,  the  lack  of  water.  All  sections  considered, 
where  corn  is  now  grown  the  labor  problem  is  undoubtedly  the  most 
serious  of  the  three.  Every  man  who  attempts  to  grow  corn  on  a  large 
acreage  or  even  more  than  to  fill  in  some  odd  piece  of  land  and  who 
depends  on  hired  help  to  do  the  work,  has  the  same  tale  of  regular 
"month"  men  leaving  at  the  time  corn  most  needs  cultivation  to  go 
with  a  harvester  or  hay  baler.  He  finds,  also,  that  it  is  next  to  impos- 
sible to  get  any  member  of  the  transient  class  of  labor  to  enter  the 
cornfield  even  to  cultivate,  much  less  to  hoe  or  sucker  the  corn.  In 
the  Middle  West  where  corn  is  a  principal  crop,  and  where  the  hired 
help  is  usually  one  or  more  neighbor's  boys,  no  one  of  the  hired  men 
considers  himself  too  good  to  work  in  the  cornfield.  Not  so  in  Cali- 
fornia. The  work  of  corn  growing  seems  to  have  been  given  largely  to 
the  Orientals  at  an  early  date,  with  the  result  in  part  that  the  white 
labor  separated  themselves  from  it  more  and  more  and  came  to  feel  that 
it  was  beneath  them.  Not  wholly  so,  however,  for  there  are  other  con- 
ditions that  obtain,  which  make  the  work  of  corn  growing  in  Cali- 
fornia more  of  a  drudgery  than  in  the  Middle  West,  and  it  is  the  pre- 
sence of  these  conditions  that  is  largely  responsible  for  the  Chinese 
having  been  given  nearly  a  monopoly  of  the  labor  in  an  earlier  day  and 
for  having  divorced  the  wdiite  labor  from  it.  The  excessive  growth  of 
suckers  in  the  State,  seeming  to  call  for  the  disagreeable  labor  of  pulling 
or  cutting,  commonly  called  suckering,  is  one  of  these  conditions.  This 
is  work  to  which  the  Oriental's  back  is  better  suited.  Add  the  labor 
of  suckering  to  the  other  labor  of  corn  culture  as  it  exists  in  the  Middle 
West,  and  this  in  the  burning  heat  of  the  summer  sun  in  the  Great 
Valley  with  the  lack  of  breeze  which  necessarily  exists  in  the  cornfield, 
and  you  have   a   condition   which   would  nearly   overcome   even   the 


—  6  — 

"neighbor  boy"  labor  of  the  Middle  West,  but  which  the  Chinese  can 
endure  fairly  well. 

Furthermore,  after  the  corn  is  grown,  the  conditions  of  harvesting 
are  not  so  attractive  in  California  as  in  the  Middle  West.  A  thicker 
and  harsher  husk  in  this  State  makes  it  hard  to  get  white  labor  to  har- 
vest the  corn  because  of  injury  to  the  hands  in  husking.  At  all  events, 
the  labor  of  corn  growing  fell  to  the  Chinese,  and  the  Chinese  have 
largely  disappeared  till  only  a  few  of  the  older  ones  remain,  and  they 
are  too  old  to  do  the  amount  of  work  they  could  formerly  do.  The 
Mexican  peons  are  now  probably  doing  more  of  the  labor  of  corn  grow- 


FlG.   2.- 


-A  cornfield  in  Tulare  County.     Corn   15   feet  high 
per  acre. 


yield   65  bushels 


ing  than  the  Chinese,  but  even  the  number  of  available  peons  is  limited 
and  their  contracts  to  do  the  husking  are  so  readily  broken  by  them 
that  they  can  but  be  rated  as  an  exceedingly  unreliable  class.  To  sum 
up  the  labor  question,  then,  we  may  say  that  white  labor  is  rarely  ob- 
tainable and  is  very  uncertain ;  that  the  Chinese,  though  fairly  reliable, 
are  old  and  too  few  in  number;  and  that  the  Mexican  peons  are  unre- 
liable. Neither  is  there  enough  work  in  the  cornfield  to  induce  bands 
of  Japanese  laborers  to  come  in  and  do  the  work.  Thus  we  find  the 
labor  question  in  corn  growing  a  peculiar  one  but  no  less  a  serious  one. 
Although  the  labor  question  is  the  most  serious  one  at  present  where 
corn  is  now  grown,  a  factor  which  has  in  certain  sections  most  largely 
decreased  the  area  devoted  to  that  crop  is  the  profit  derived  from  it  as 


compared  with  the  profits  to  be  obtained  from  other  crops.  The  section 
which  shows  most  plainly  how  other  crops  may  replace  corn  because  of 
their  larger  profits  is  that  part  of  the  southern  coast  region  embracing 
Ventura,  Los  Angeles,  Santa  Ana,  and  Orange  counties.  Not  many 
years  back  this  section  grew  corn  as  a  prominent  crop,  but  with  the 
advent  of  citrus  fruit,  lima  beans  and  sugar  beets,  the  acreage  of  corn 
and  its  relative  importance  as  a  farm  crop  have  become  insignificant. 
The  Merced  River  bottom  lands  have  also  reduced  the  acreage  of  corn 
by  perhaps  fifty  per  cent  in  the  last  decade,  but  here  scarcity  of  help 
and  an  actual  reduction  in  yield  of  corn  per  acre  have  made  corn  less 
profitable  not  only  relatively,  but  actually.  Indeed,  from  all  over  the 
State  have  come  numerous  reports  of  profits  from  corn  growing  being 
exceeded  usually  by  profits  from  other  crops,  notably  alfalfa,  barley 
and  deciduous  fruits,  in  addition  to  those  crops  mentioned  above.  In 
fact,  almost  every  other  crop  seems  to  be  more  profitable  in  some  places 
and  some  other  crop  more  profitable  in  almost  every  place.  This  is 
true,  speaking  of  the  corn  crop  as  a  profit  maker  by  itself,  not  consider- 
ing its  indirect  use  and  value  in  rotation  with  other  crops.  Exceptions 
to  this  are  the  overflowed  lands  of  the  Sacramento  River  where  a  late 
spring  crop  must  be  grown ;  possibly  part  of  the  reclaimed  tule  lands, 
and  miscellaneous  smaller  overflowed  or  naturally  wet  lands  and  odd 
pieces  for  various  reasons  not  planted  to  something  else.  However, 
there  is  a  small  sprinkling  of  farmers  in  nearly  all  sections  who  consider 
corn  growing  as  profitable  in  their  respective  sections  as  the  crop  most 
largely  grown.  But  some  of  these  limit  their  statement  by  saying  that 
this  is  true  with  corn  at  present  prices  (1908-1909). 

Corn  smut  and  corn  worms. — In  three  localities,  viz.,  south  of  Fresno, 
between  Laton  and  Kingsburg;  along  the  Merced  River,  and  near 
Santa  Ana,  smut  has  been  so  common  in  the  corn  at  times  as  to  con- 
siderably lessen  its  profitableness.  It  is  said  that  south  of  Fresno  and 
around  Santa  Ana  for  a  period  of  several  years  corn  was  almost  aban- 
doned on  account  of  the  prevalence  of  smut.  Rotation  with  other  crops 
is  recommended  to  lessen  this  disease.  The  corn  worm  does  immense 
damage  all  over  the  State,  except  in  certain  varieties  of  corn  which  pass 
the  roasting  ear  stage  very  quickly;  but  while  this  works  as  a  factor 
against  corn  growing  by  lowering  the  yield  and  grade  of  shelled  corn,  it 
does  not  appear  to  have  alone  ruled  corn  growing  out  of  any  section. 
The  blackbird  is  another  pest  which,  coming  in  great  flocks,  destroys 
much  corn  in  the  roasting  ear  stage  and  has  been  a  strong  factor  on  the 
tule  lands  of  the  Santa  Ana  country  and  of  the  Sacramento  Valley  in 
limiting  the  profit  and  hence  the  area  of  corn.  While  the  blackbird  does 
not  do  the  total  damage  that  the  worm  does,  because  not  so  widespread, 
its  depredations  are  more  severe  in  the  localities  mentioned.  The  loss 
occasioned  by  the  worm  can  be  and  in  some  places  is  lessened  by  plant- 


o  S 


—  9  — 

ing  a  little  sweet  corn  near  the  field  corn,  as  the  moth  of  which  the  worm 
is  a  larva?,  will  select  certain  varieties  of  sweet  corn  in  preference  to 
dent  or  flint  corn  on  which  to  deposit  its  eggs.  No  preventive  which 
is  practicable  can  be  offered  to  the  blackbird. 

Effect  of  excessive  heat. — Another  fact  which  works  against  corn 
growing  in  the  Sacramento  Valley  is  the  blistering  and  burning  of  the 
tassels  by  the  sun  before  the  silk  is  ready  to  receive  the  pollen.  This 
seems  to  be  due  not  alone  to  excessive  heat  of  the  sun,  but  also  to  the  fact 
that  there  is  often  a  considerable  time  between  the  appearance  of  the 
tassels  and  the  silk.  For  some  reason  not  understood,  the  silks  are  so 
late  in  appearing  that  very  moderate  weather  must  be  had  to  allow  the 
life  of  the  pollen  to  remain  until  fertilization  can  be  effected.  Of 
course  this  necessarily  reduces  the  yield  of  corn  by  causing  a  large  per 
cent  of  the  ears  to  be  unevenly  filled. 

Trouble  from  suckering  of  corn. — The  growth  of  suckers  is  a  matter 
of  importance  and  is  to  be  considered  when  viewing  corn  growing  in 
relation  to  profit.  The  probable  causes  of  this  growth  of  suckers  is 
discussed  later,  but  a  discussion  of  the  practice  of  dealing  with  the 
suckers  will  be  given  here.  It  seems  significant  that  the  most  expe- 
rienced corn  growers  in  this  State?  aside  from  the  Chinese,  those  who 
have  grown  any  considerable  area  for  a  number  of  years,  have  quite 
generally  given  up  the  practice  of  removing  the  suckers,  if  they  once 
practiced  it.  Their  reason  is  that  it  does  not  pay.  Other  men  who  do 
not  grow  corn  every  year  find  it  too  much  work  to  remove  the  suckers 
and  laborers  too  hard  to  get.  On  the  other  hand,  some  farmers  find  it 
necessary  to  remove  the  suckers  in  order  to  get  corn.  Still  others  find 
little  difference  in  weight  of  corn  produced  whether  suckers  are  or  are 
not  removed,  but  consider  that  it  pays  to  remove  them  because  the 
quality  of  the  corn  will  be  better  and  the  labor  of  harvesting  will  be 
enough  less  to  pay  for  the  labor  of  removing  the  suckers.  The  cost  of 
removing  the  suckers  varies  from  fifty  cents  to  three  dollars  and  fifty 
cents  an  acre,  with  an  average  cost  of  about  a  dollar  and  a  half.  But 
it  must  be  remembered  that  it  is  exceedingly  difficult  to  get  labor  at  this 
price  to  sucker  the  larger  fields.  Even  where  the  Chinese  have  full 
charge  of  the  corn  growing  and  do  all  their  own  work,  the  practice  of 
removing  suckers  is  becoming  less.  A  Chinaman  on  the  Merced  River 
explained  it  by  saying  that  when  they  (the  Chinamen)  were  young, 
they  could  sucker  two  or  more  acres  a  day,  but  now  with  all  the  China- 
men getting  old,  half  an  acre  is  a  hard  day's  work.  In  all  probability, 
the  removal  of  suckers  will  not  pay  except  in  small  areas  where  the 
grower  has  regular  help  enough  to  do  the  work,  or  in  larger  areas  where 
either  the  land  is  very  dry  or  the  stand  too  thick.  But  if  labor  could 
be  obtained  to  do  the  work  at  a  reasonable  rate,  it  would  probably  pay 
to  remove  the  suckers  from  nearly  all  varieties  of  dent  and  flint  corn 


—  li- 
on nearly  all  land.     In  many  cases  this  would  result  in  superiority  of 
both  yield  and  quality. 

Irrigation  often  necessary. — We  have  termed  the  labor  problem  the 
most  serious  in  connection  with  corn  growing  in  its  present  localities 
and  have  shown  how  competition  with  other  crops  has  caused  a  reduc- 
tion in  the  area  grown  in  certain  sections.  But  there  is  a  very  large 
area  on  which  corn  was  never  grown,  hence  which  can  never  have  had 
labor  troubles  in  connection  with  it  nor  its  production  of  corn  reduced 
by  competition  with  other  crops.  It  is  in  this  area  that  the  third 
reason  against  corn  growing  is  at  its  strongest,  it  being  prohibitive  here. 
Lack  of  water  makes  a  large  part  of  California's  agricultural  land  unfit 
for  corn  growing,  because  the  corn  plant  must  have  water  either  by 
irrigation  or  from,  a  naturally  moist  or  sub-irrigated  soil.  Thus,  a  large 
part  of  the  State  is  ruled  out  at  once.  Furthermore,  irrigation  is 
expensive,  and  on  land  that  requires  a  great  deal  of  irrigation  water,  it 
may  be  the  item  of  expense  that  changes  the  balance  from  profit  to  loss. 
At  any  rate,  the  larger  part  of  the  land  under  irrigation  will  generally 
produce  a  variety  of  crops  some  of  which,  like  alfalfa  and  various 
fruits,  will  pay  larger  dividends  on  the  money  investment  required  to 
produce  those  respective  crops.  Indeed,  it  seems  that  corn  as  a  direct 
paying  crop  considered  by  itself,  exclusive  of  rotation  or  as  part  of 
a  general  system  of  agriculture,  is  limited  to  such  areas  as  the  over- 
flowed lands  along  the  Sacramento  River  and  its  tributaries,  where  an 
annual  crop  can  be  grown  when  planted  late  in  the  spring,  and  to  lands 
which  supply  moisture  to  the  corn  wholly  or  in  part  from  sub-irrigation 
or  retained  winter  rainfall,  and,  in  addition,  are  not  well  adapted  to 
those  crops  usually  grown  in  more  extensive  farming.  Some  of  these 
lands  have  rather  too  much  alkali  for  Indian  corn,  giving  Egyptian  corn 
an  advantage,  as  is  the  case  on  the  west  side  of  the  Sacramento  River 
in  Colusa  County  and  some  of  the  moist  and  irrigated  lands  between 
Fresno  and  Tulare  Lake. 


REASONS  FOR   CORN   GROWING. 

Notwithstanding  the  reasons  advanced  against  corn  growing  and 
the  facts  stated  which  tend  to  make  corn  growing  difficult  and  unprofit- 
able, there  are  some  facts  in  favor  of  the  growing  of  King  Corn.  Chief 
among  these  is  the  fact  that  there  is  a  distinct  advantage  in  the  use  of 
corn  in  rotation  with  other  cereals.  This  advantage  is  twofold,  dividing 
itself  into  the  advantage  of  better  physical  and  chemical  condition  of 
the  soil,  which  arises  from  the  summer  cultivation  given  corn,  and  the 
advantage  of  riddance  of  weeds  from  this  same  cultivation.  A  number 
of  farmers  realize  this  advantage  to  be  great  enough  so  that  they  grow 
some  corn  each  year,  even  though  the  crop  itself  is  not  as  profitable  as 


<           > .  % .  ■        . 

PI.  »         n.                          ViA    ;     '     ■***                *■                  •     ■      (V  ' 

•'-■„■           -        '     V't  " 

L;'               ,           .                .      j 

^ 

—  13  — 

a  crop  of  small  grain.  They  find  that  the  total  profit  during  a  series  of 
years  is  greater  where  corn  is  used  in  rotation.  Probably  very  few 
farmers  have  definite  systems  of  rotation  on  all  their  cultivated  land 
into  which  corn  enters,  but  some  do  at  least  hold  to  a  more  or  less 
definite  system  into  which  corn  enters  as  one  crop  of  the  series  on  the 
land  which  is  at  all  suitable  for  it.  Almost  any  cultivated  crop  will 
enter  into  rotation  with  similar  advantages  to  the  soil,  varying,  how- 
ever, in  degree.  The  adaptability  of  the  particular  cultivated  crop 
which  is  used  to  the  locality  and  to  the  use  which  can  be  made  of  it  will 
always  largely  govern  the  selection. 

For  use  in  a  rotation  with  small  grains  on  moderately  moist  lands, 
corn  has  particular  adaptations.  It  is  a  crop,  the  production  of  which 
docs  not  interfere  seriously  with  the  production  of  small  grains  when 
labor  is  kept  on  the  farm  throughout  the  year.  In  fact,  it  helps  to  dis- 
tribute the  work  more  evenly  throughout  the  season  than  a  single  crop 
will  do.  It  is  planted  after  the  seeding  of  small  grains  is  completed 
and  is  harvested  just  before  autumn  rains.  It  leaves  the  ground  in  a 
better  physical  or  chemical  condition  for  small  grain  crop  than  any  of 
the  sorghums  as  Kaffir  corn,  Egyptian  corn,  etc.  A  part  of  the  benefit 
to  soil  doubtless  comes  from  the  deeper  plowing  which  is  usually  given 
corn  and  part  from  the  summer  cultivation.  It  is  customary  to  plow  the 
land  about  sixty  to  seventy-five  per  cent  deeper  for  corn  than  for  barley. 
The  benefit  of  deeper  plowing  might  be  obtained  in  continuous  cropping 
to  barley,  but  the  benefit  of  summer  cultivation  can  not.  Aside  from 
the  amount  of  moisture  it  contains,  a  properly  cultivated  cornfield  is  in 
as  good  physical  condition  for  the  next  crop  as  a  summer-fallow  which 
has  been  plowed  deep  and  cultivated  to  keep  the  weeds  down. 

The  use  of  corn  in  some  sort  of  rotation  with  small  grains  to  keep 
the  weeds  out  is  an  important  one.  With  few  exceptions  the  weeds  that 
bother  in  the  barley  field  will  be  eradicated  by  rotation  with  corn.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  weeds  such  as  morning-glory  and  Johnson  grass 
that  are  worst  in  the  cornfield,  are  not  bad  in  the  barley  field.  Further- 
more, the  change  from  one  crop  to  another  with  its  different  method  of 
culture  helps  in  keeping  down  the  worst  weed  pests  of  both  crops. 
Along  the  Merced  River  Johnson  grass  is  very  bad  in  the  cornfields, 
but  it  is  because  in  many  fields  corn  has  been  grown  continuously  and 
without  proper  cultivation  or  attention  to  the  destruction  of  weeds. 
The  maximum  benefit  from  rotation  is  obtained  only  when  the  best 
culture  is  given  corn.  The  culture  which  will  give  the  largest  yield  of 
corn  will  benefit  the  soil  most.  It  is  the  opinion  of  the  writer  that  too 
little  attention  has  been  given  to  this  aspect  of  corn  growing  in  Cali- 
fornia. 

Another  reason  for  growing  corn  in  this  State  and  one  which  increases 
the  area  grown  is  that  it  is  sometimes  planted  after  a  hay  crop  has  been 


—  14  - 

removed,  giving  a  second  crop  the  same  year.  This  is  very  commonly 
practiced  in  the  region  between  Fresno  and  Tulare  Lake  and  where 
irrigation  water  is  abundant  on  the  naturally  moist  lands.  In  such 
cases  the  corn  is  planted  about  July  1st. 

On  the  drier  lands  of  this  region  more  Egyptian  corn,  Kaffir  corn  or 
Milo  maize  is  planted  at  this  time  after  a  hay  crop  because  of  its  smaller 
demand  for  water.  The  method  is  being  tried  on  the  University  Farm 
at  Davis,  corn  having  been  planted  there  the  middle  of  July  on  land 
subject  to  irrigation.  On  land  in  the  Imperial  Valley  two  crops  of 
corn  have  been  grown  the  same  year  on  the  same  ground,  seed  for  the 


Fig.   6. — An  Egyptian  cornfield. 

second  planting  having  been  taken  from  the  first  crop.  The  area  grown 
in  the  State  as  a  second  crop  is  very  small  compared  with  the  total  area 
of  corn.  Where  the  practice  is  followed,  special  attention  should  be 
given  to  include  in  the  rotation  some  leguminous  crop,  at  least  a  part 
of  which  should  go  under  as  green  manure. 

Another  reason  for  growing  corn  is  that  some  land  is  better  adapted 
to  it  than  to  small  grain.  Aside  from  the  overflowed  lands  which  must 
be  planted  to  some  late  spring  crop,  and  which,  because  of  this,  are  not 
suitable  for  small  grain,  there  are  certain  moist,  rich,  bottom  lands  with 
soil  conditions  ideal  for  corn  growing,  but  where  rust  and  lodging  make 
small  grain  production  uncertain.  Part  of  the  Merced  River  bottom, 
as  well  as  considerable  along  the  Feather  River,  is  in  this  class.     Corn 


—  15  — 

growing  has  also  been  very  profitable  along  the  Cosumne  River,  and 
formerly  was  largely  grown  in  the  tule  lands  of  the  Santa  Ana  country. 
On  the  sand  hills  near  the  coast  in  Los  Angeles  County,  barley  falls 
down  badly,  seeming  to  have  very  little  strength  of  straw.  But  even 
where  the  sand  is  so  light  as  to  blow  badly  it  retains  moisture  sufficient 
to  mature  fair  crops  of  corn.  Some  of  the  largest  cornfields  in  the  State 
are  on  such  soil. 

A  great  many  small  fields  of  corn  are  grown  to  furnish  part  of  the 
food  ration  of  hogs  or  other  stock.  It  is  not  uncommon  for  the  small 
farmer  to  offer  as  his  reason  for  growing  corn  on  the  odd  pieces  of  land 
or  his  smaller  fields,  that  "it  is  good  to  have  a  little  corn  for  feed. ' '  It 
is  considered,  and  rightly  so,  to  be  the  best  single  feed  which  can  be 
produced  for  hog  feeding  and  as  a  part  of  the  ration  of  other  stock. 
Its  value  as  feed  on  the  farm  is  a  factor  which  the  more  extensive  grain 
farmer  scarcely  considers  aside  from  its  commercial  value,  as  he  usually 
puts  his  corn  on  the  market  as  soon  as  it  will  shell. 


CAUSES  OF  SUCKERING. 

A  great  many  inquiries  were  made  of  the  corn  growers  regarding  the 
cause  of  suckers.  Several  different  factors  are  said  to  cause  this,  two 
of  which,  viz.,  rich  soil  and  abundant  moisture  were  named  by  the 
majority  of  persons  interviewed.  Among  other  causes  were  given 
early  planting,  shallow  planting,  thin  stand,  good  cultivation  and  cold 
nights.  There  seems  to  be  no  doubt  that  with  abundant  moisture  and 
plant  food,  corn  will  sucker  more  than  in  poorer,  dryer  soil.  The  other 
causes  named  can  mostly  be  shown  to  be  closely  related  to  either  of 
these  two.  There  is  usually  more  moisture  in  the  soil  at  the  time  of 
early  planting;  likewise  a  thin  stand  allows  each  stalk  more  moisture 
and  plant  food;  while  thorough  cultivation  saves  the  moisture  for  the 
use  of  the  corn  plant  and  helps  to  liberate  plant  food.  Almost  anything 
which  tends  toward  a  vigorous  growth  of  the  plant  seems  to  favor  the 
growth  of  suckers  and  make  them  more  numerous.  It  is  not  so  evident 
in  what  way  the  difference  said  to  be  due  to  depth  of  planting  can  be  ex- 
plained. It  is  a  fact  that  the  suckers  can  be  smothered  out  or  prevented 
from  starting  by  throwing  dirt  to  the  corn  when  it  is  young,  and  that 
corn  planted  with  a  lister  and  having  the  furrow  filled  in  with  dirt  by 
early  cultivation  suckers  very  little.  But  as  surface-planted  corn  roots 
at  the  same  depth  whether  planted  deep  or  shallow,  the  way  in  which 
the  amount  of  suckering  could  be  influenced  by  depth  of  planting  is  not 
seen.  Professor  Hilgard  stated  to  the  writer  that  he  considered  that 
anything  which  tended  to  make  corn  fruit  would  tend  to  cause  suckers, 
because  the  vegetative  growth  in  the  main  stalk  would  be  more  or  less 
depressed;  and  further,  that  anything  which  tended  to  depress  the 


—  17  — 

vegetative  growth  in  the  main  stalk  would  tend  to  cause  suckers.  He 
also  suggested  that  a  high  lime  and  phosphorus  content  of  soils  might 
cause  suckering  because  of  its  tendency  to  make  the  corn  fruit.  One 
instance  is  noted,  that  of  the  lava  soil  around  Paradise,  which  is  deficient 
in  both  lime  and  phosphorus,  and  in  which  corn  suckers  but  very  little 
and  fruits  but  very  little,  though  the  growth  of  the  stalk  is  good.  It  is 
a  common  opinion  of  the  farmers  that  corn  which  does  not  sucker  will 
usually  give  a  poor  yield  of  grain. 

Considering  that  the  depression  of  the  main  stalk  or  the  vegetative 
growth  causes  suckering,  we  can  easily  see  that  the  cool  nights  would, 
as  has  been  stated,  cause  suckering;  for  corn,  more  than  any  other  of 
the  common  cereals,  likes  warm  nights  as  well  as  days  to  push  its  growth. 
And  as  the  corn  suckers  very  little  in  the  great  corn  growing  states  of 
the  Middle  West,  which  have  in  general  much  warmer  summer  nights 
than  California  or  the  northern  states  of  the  Middle  West,  it  seems 
likely  to  the  writer  that  the  cool  nights  are  quite  largely  responsible 
for  the  excessive  growth  of  suckers  in  this  State,-  as  well  as  in  northern 
Nebraska,  the  Dakotas  and  Minnesota.  It  seems  that  the  amount  and 
kind  of  plant  food  may  be  a  smaller  factor,  otherwise  there  would  be 
more  variation  in  the  growth  of  suckers  in  the  great  corn-growing  belt. 
The  cause  of  more  suckers  in  moist  and  rich  lands  might  be  attributed 
also  to  the  effect  of  cool  nights,  considering  that  a  rank  and  vigorous 
growth  of  almost  any  plant  is  more  tender  and  more  susceptible  to 
climatic  influences.  There  seems  to  be  a  good  opportunity  for  further 
investigation  on  this  line,  with  promise  of  results  of  both  scientific  and 
practical  value. 

In  regard  to  the  amount  which  different  varieties  of  corn  sucker  there 
are  not  enough  data  at  hand  to  classify  the  varieties  in  order  in  this 
respect.  However,  the  flint  varieties  commonly  sucker  more  than  the 
dent  varieties;  and  varieties  brought  to  California  from  east  of  the 
Rockies  are  said  not  to  sucker  as  much  for  two  or  three  years  as  the 
native  corn  or  the  corn  which  has  been  grown  in  this  State  several 
years.  Two  varieties  of  California  grown  corn,  King  Philip  and  Hick- 
ory King,  which  sucker  badly  in  this  State,  were  planted  this  season  in 
southwestern  Missouri  on  rich,  loamy,  bottom  land,  a  good  corn  soil,  and 
did  not  sucker  at  all. 

THICKNESS   OF  PLANTING. 

The  thickness  of  planting  must  depend  largely  upon  the  water  sup- 
ply. In  general,  thinner  planting  is  advisable  in  this  State  than  in  the 
corn  belt,  because  of  excessive  suckering  here  and  lack  of  summer 
moisture.  Thicker  planting  is  advisable  on  moist  land  than  on  dry 
land.  On  the  University  Farm,  at  Davis,  the  outer  rows  of  one  plat 
of  corn  without  irrigation  are  very  much  better  than  the  inner  rows. 


—  18  — 

doubtless  because  they  could  reach  more  moisture  than  the  inner  rows. 
The  average  distance  apart  of  these  stalks  is  44  by  18  inches.  This  is 
too  close  for  any  but  naturally  moist  or  irrigated  soil.  Forty-four  by 
twenty-four  inches  would  be  better. 

TIME  TO  MATURITY. 

Reports  indicate  that  corn  matures  later  here  than  in  the  corn  belt, 
or  that  after  being  practically  mature,  it  requires  a  much  longer  time 
to  dry  up.  Because  of  late  maturity  and  because  it  it  generally  desired 
to  get  the  corn  to  market  as  soon  as  possible,  early  maturing  varieties 
are  sought. 


Fig.   8. — A  cornfield  in  the  Guill  ranch  near  Chico,  Butte  County,  California. 


QUALITY  OF  THE  CORN. 

It  is  quite  generally  believed  by  the  California  growers  that  Cali- 
fornia corn,  even  the  dent  varieties,  are  harder  and  more  flinty  than 
the  eastern  corn.  It  is  commonly  preferred  for  feed  because  it  is  said 
to  be  stronger;  and  flint  varieties  if  ground  are  preferred  to  dent 
varieties. 

DISPOSITION   OF  THE  STALKS. 

The  stalks  are  usually  left  in  the  field  and  pastured.  It  seems  that 
the  blades  and  husks  are  heavier  and  coarser  and  hence  not  as  well  liked 
by  cattle  as  the  eastern  corn.  After  being  pastured,  the  stalks  are 
usually  raked  and  burned.  It  would  be  better  for  the  land  to  cut  them 
with  a  stalk  cutter  and  turn  them  under  with  a  plow.     Some  farmers 


—  19  — 

object  to  this  method  because  it  takes  so  long  for  the  stalks  to  decay. 
Some  fields  of  corn  are  cut  green  and  ensiled.  In  this  way  a  large 
amount  of  feed  of  good  quality,  up  to  as  high  as  fifty  tons  per  acre,  can 
be  obtained. 

USE  OF  HUSKS  FOR  TAMALE  WRAPPERS. 

While  the  husk  is  generally  thick,  coarse  and  heavy,  weighing  perhaps 
twice  as  much  as  Illinois  husks,  certain  varieties,  as  the  Small  Round 
Yellow  or  King  Philip  or  Spanish  corn,  and  a  variety  grown  so  long  on 
the  Merced  River  as  to  be  called  Old  River  White,  have  very  thin 
papery  husks  which  are  highly  esteemed  for  tamale  wrappers.  From 
the  latter  variety  about  200  to  300  pounds  of  husks  per  acre  are  ob- 
tained. A  Chinaman  at  Snelling,  who  has  had  large  experience,  says 
he  expects  to  get  one  ton  of  husks  from  six  tons  of  corn.  The  price 
received  for  husks  for  tamale  wrappers  by  the  growers  or  the  party 
who  first  markets  them  is  now  about  four  cents  a  pound.  Formerly  it 
was  much  more.  The  retail  price  is  now  much  higher,  perhaps  fifteen 
cents  a  pound. 

It  is  a  common  practice  to  get  the  corn  harvested  for  the  husks.  A 
man  can  easily  get  a  hundred  pounds  of  husks  in  a  day.  But  as  the 
contracts  to  husk  corn  are  so  readily  broken  by  the  Mexicans  and  the 
husks  not  so  much  in  demand  as  formerly,  the  corn  growers  are  becom- 
ing less  willing  to  have  their  corn  harvested  in  that  way.  The  method 
of  saving  the  husks  is  to  break  off  the  ears  with  the  entire  husk,  throw- 
ing them  in  piles;  and  then  bring  the  entire  family  of  women  and 
children  to  husk  the  ears.  The  husks  are  laid  evenly  in  bales,  averag- 
ing about  sixty  pounds  per  bale. 

THE   CORN   WORM. 

The  corn  earworm?  Heliothis  armiger,  is  a  great  pest.  The  adult 
moth  lays  eggs  on  the  corn  and  the  worm,  hatching  from  the  egg,  finds 
its  way  into  the  ear,  eating  into  and  destroying  much  corn.  In  fields 
where  sweet  corn  is  planted  near,  the  trouble  is  much  less  in  the  field 
corn,  as  the  moth  prefers  to  deposit  eggs  on  the  sweet  corn.  The  sweet 
corn  may  be  ruined,  but  the  field  corn  will  be  comparatively  free  from 
worms.  Some  varieties  of  field  corn,  like  Huron  Dent,  pass  the  roast- 
ing ear  stage  so  quickly  that  the  worms  trouble  it  but  little.  It  is  also 
probable  that  the  worm  prefers  certain  varieties  and  is  at  its  worst  in 
them. 

VARIETIES  GROWN. 

The  usual  names  given  to  varieties  grown  in  California  are  merely 
descriptive  terms,  as  "Large  Yellow  Dent"  or  "Small  White."  There 
are  certain  varieties,  however,  that  are  well  defined.     Among  these  are 


-  20  — 

King  Philip,  frequently  called  Small  Yellow  or  Spanish  corn,  Hickory 
King,  California  Yellow  Dent,*  and  a  small  amount  of  the  standard 
Middle  West  varieties,  such  as  Reid's  Yellow  Dent,  Learning,  Iowa 
Silvermine,  and  others.  It  does  not  seem  that  these  latter  varieties 
continue  to  be  known  by  their  respective  names  very  many  years,  per- 
haps because  they  become  mixed  with  other  varieties,  and  gradually 
have  the  descriptive  names  applied  to  them  more  and  more. 

METHOD  OF  IRRIGATION. 

The  row  system  is  generally  used  in  irrigating.  Furrows  are  made 
between  all  the  rows  and  water  is  run  into  these  until  it  crosses  the  field. 
Varying  amounts  of  water  are  used,  depending  upon  the  soil  and  the 
cost  and  abundance  of  available  water.  The  greatest  need  of  water  is 
at  time  of  tasseling  and  earing,  hence  those  sections  that  have  water 
available  through  July  and  August  are  favored.  If  the  cornfield  is 
flooded,  the  corn  is  very  likely  to  scald  in  the  hot  sun,  especially  before 
the  corn  is  large  enough  to  fully  shade  the  ground. 

IMPROVEMENTS  DESIRED  BY  THE  GROWERS. 

The  thing  most  generally  desired  by  the  growers  is  a  variety  which 
will  give  a  fair  yield  of  corn  without  such  an  excessive  growth  of  suckers 
as  present  varieties  have.  Selection  of  corn  should  be  undertaken 
having  this  feature  in  view.  A  shorter  season  variety  is  desired  by 
many  farmers.  There  are  short  season  varieties  now  grown  by  a  few 
farmers,  through  whom  some  seed  distribution  might  be  made  to  satisfy 
desires  in  this  direction. 

A  few  growers  would  like  to  see  selection  undertaken  to  increase  the 
yield  of  corn  as  has  been  done  in  the  Middle  West.  Most  farmers,  how- 
ever, are  too  busy  with  other  crops,  or  with  labor  problems  in  connection 
with  corn  growing,  to  have  given  any  thought  to  this  matter.  A  large 
number  of  growers  would  like  to  see  selection  undertaken  to  reduce  the 
size  of  the  stalk  and  to  lower  the  position  of  the  ear.  This  would  make 
the  labor  of  harvesting  very  much  less. 

Probably  the  greatest  help  that  can  be  given  the  corn  grower  will  be 
dissemination  of  information  as  to  how  he  can  help  himself  to  overcome 
certain  difficulties  in  corn  growing — things  that  can  be  easily  done  but 
with  which  he  is  not  familiar  because  he  has  not  had  what  might  be 
called  a  ' '  corn  experience. ' '  For  instance,  the  grower  should  help  him- 
self to  short  season  varieties  if  he  wants  them,  and  by  merely  having  the 
way  pointed  out,  to  lower  stalk  growth  and  lower  position  of  the  ears ; 
also  how  to  avoid  the  worst  ravages  of  the  earworm.  It  will  be  less 
expensive  to  the  station  to  give  such  information  than  to  supply  the 
desired  seed,  and  will  be  more  appreciated  by  the  grower. 

*A  hybrid  produced  by  Mr.  W.  C.   Sheldon,  Cosumne. 


